Falling from Grace - Bridgerton

Chapter Twenty- Five

Present:

Benedict stormed through the house enraged with his elder brother finally catching sight of him writing a letter at his desk.

"What did you do to her?" Ben said loud enough so causing Anthony to look up at him. And Anthony believed Benedict was asking about what happened all those years ago. He swallowed before answering his brother but spoke the truth, "I did nothing of the sort."

But Ben did not believe him, "I came into Grace's room to see her sobbing Anthony." And Anthony now realized Benedict was talking about what had happened moments earlier.

"That is not my fault," Anthony began to gather his papers as Benedict almost looked at him with a mixture of disbelief and disgust on his face, "Then whose would it be?" 

Anthony sighed walking away from his office but turning to Benedict before he left, "Her own."

But Ben did not give up following Anthony needing more answers and the pair walked swiftly past Colin who looked at them with a sense of confusion written over his face after hearing the yelling putting his paper down and getting up from the couch in the drawing-room.

"What on earth are you yelling on about?" Colin asked them but both Benedict and Anthony ignored his question as Benedict grabbed Anthony's sleeve to stop him before he could get away.

"What happened between you and Grace?" His voice was low now no longer and desperate and Colin became intrigued as well. Before Anthony became the Viscount the two brothers heard the wonderful stories from the summers in Hastings. About the girl who lived in the house next door and would swim in the creek late at night and watch the sun rise. 

"Nothing" He growled trying to walk away again but Benedict's grip remained strong on his sleeve close to tearing it, "You are lying Anthony I see the way you look at her-"

"She was using us, Benedict!" Anthony had had enough with his brothers defending Grace. He needed to tell them the truth but not yet, as of now, he had to explain what had happened earlier the rest would come out eventually. 

But neither brother believed him, still thinking that Anthony was too deep in his own hatred to believe Grace could be more than just what society saw her as. Colin started to become frustrated as well, "Your judgment is clouded Anthony, she was hurt when she came here you saw her-"

"Grace is pregnant."

Both brothers froze, the elder speaking first, "What?" His eyes searching Anthony for any tells that he was lying.

"She was using us to hide her pregnancy" But Ben found none, Anthony's voice and words were stone set and solid. 

Ben started again trying to process the situation, what Grace had told him about her and about Elliot, "That-that's not possible, because then she'd-" but Colin had cut him off before he could finish, "But Grace told me that they do not-"

"Well, I suppose she lied." And Anthony ended the chopped sentences with a statement of his own. Until Colin started again, "Or she was forced into it."

"Forced into what?" It was only then the three brothers noticed that Hycinth and Eloise were in the room as well. Angry that Hycinth interrupted the conversation where she could have at least gotten some answers to Eliose stood up, "You couldn't have waited till they were done to ask?"

His eyes widened Anthony and Benedict only then noticed that two of their sisters were accompanying Colin in the drawing-room from which he first heard their conversation. "Eloise, Hycinth, We will be leaving soon I suggest you get ready for bed," Anthony told them sternly afraid of what he might have given away.